


Amulet

by prayed



Category: Initial D, Tau Man Zi D | Initial D (2005)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26814313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prayed/pseuds/prayed
Summary: Nakazato seeks out his friend to find out the reason for his silence.
Relationships: Nakazato Takeshi/Takahashi Ryousuke
Kudos: 6





	Amulet

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is set in the 2005 movie. Because of Keisuke's absence, I imagine that Ryousuke is an only child and that Nakazato goes on to become part of Project D as Ryousuke's friend, alongside Takumi.
> 
> Also, these song lyrics are an inspiration.  
> "I'll follow you at every instant and have you / always in my pocket wherever I am / like a coin, an amulet / that within my hands, I will keep safe."  
> (Emergencia De Amor by Laura Pausini)

Children with no siblings don’t get a lot of room to be willful.

Especially with parents as stern as Ryousuke’s.

Nakazato knows that’s why Ryousuke seems too good to be true to everyone else. 

But he’s not. It’s an act. They just don’t know any better.

“What’s with you?” Nakazato asks, after getting no response to his greeting. 

Ryousuke stares down at Mt. Akagi like a statue. The Red Suns whisper that he’s been like that for days now.

“I came all the way to Akagi to visit, since you haven’t come to Myogi in so long,” Nakazato continues, glancing at him curiously.

When he hears the words that come out of his own mouth, Nakazato's face warms up at what it sounds like he wants to say: that he misses Ryousuke that much. 

It hurts to think that maybe Ryousuke doesn’t miss him that much in return. 

Aren't they supposed to be friends?

Nakazato has known him since they were still teamless kids learning to drive.

“Sorry, been busy.” Ryousuke says, voice flat.

Nakazato wants to make a biting comment about that; he hasn’t heard any news about Ryousuke in weeks, racing-related or otherwise, but seeing the dead look in his eyes makes Nakazato bite his tongue instead.

He’s never seen Ryousuke look so ready to cry at any moment.

Nakazato lets out a harsh exhale and turns to face the guard rail in front of them. His gaze settles on Akagi's lush green forest as he pauses to think.

Nakazato is not one to beat around the bush, but neither is Ryousuke one to talk about his problems either. This would require a delicate approach.

“Busy, huh?” Nakazato starts. “Same here. Actually, I just had this race on Mt. Haruna and it was wild.”

“...Yeah?”

Nakazato tells him about it, how fast this guy was on the downhill and how he tried to ram Nakazato’s car into the side of the road. Somehow, Nakazato managed to recover and win while the other guy ended up crashing right afterwards. They found out later that he was on medication that made him as good as half-drunk.

“Wow.  
Well, I’m glad for you. Congrats.” 

Ryousuke’s eyes soften and he cracks a grin for what looks like the first time in a while.

“In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t crash, when you usually do that without anyone’s help.”

“Wha— Hey!”

Ryousuke laughs at his own joke and Nakazato, offended, can't help but smirk too. Amusing the other man is a victory in itself, but it should also help him get Ryousuke to open up.

“So.  
How about you? How’s racing been lately?”

Nakazato puts his questions in the open, probing for any information, knowing the answer can’t be anything good. 

As expected, Ryousuke’s expression falls, remembering whatever it was he was thinking about before. 

He doesn’t say anything for a long time, seeming conflicted. 

In the distance, the cries of seagulls and the wind over the lake below fill the silence of Nakazato’s anticipation.

“...I’m retiring.”

“Huh?”

Nakazato whips his head around to look at the other man so sharply that it hurts.

Did he just hear him correctly?

“I’m going to med school.  
My parents need me to be the one to inherit their hospital. You know I don’t have any siblings, so— it’s just me.”

Ryousuke looks even more tired now, deflated, after finally confessing what’s going on.

“You’re seriously giving up racing? Just because your parents told you to?”

“No, I do want to do med school.  
I just didn’t want to— to give up racing so early.”

Ryousuke’s face is wet with tears.

“I only have one or two years left. At most.”

His voice trembles.

Nakazato feels hot anger flash inside him at Ryousuke’s parents, justified or not. 

He knows how forceful they can be, manipulating their son with their financial support while offering none of the emotional kind.

Why does Ryousuke have to be the one to be everything they want? 

Why can't he live his life the way that he wants to?

To hell with it all— Nakazato steps towards Ryousuke and throws his arms around him, tight. 

Ryousuke startles, hands stretched out uncertainly, before wrapping around his back.

With Ryousuke’s face tucked into his shoulder, Nakazato can feel his shirt growing cold and damp with the other man’s tears. For a while, all he can do is soothe at the muscles in Ryousuke’s back, stiff from sobbing, until he relaxes and the tears run out completely.

By now, dusk is falling, turning the clouds above the lake shades of fiery pinks and purples. The Red Suns have all left to the bottom of the mountain, leaving the two racers alone with the sounds of night on Akagi.

Ryousuke has stopped crying for a while, but Nakazato can see his eyes are still liquid and it’s taking all of his energy to simply keep breathing. He looks like someone who has never had anyone to lean on.

Nakazato is determined to hold him for as long as he needs.

He murmurs a stream of nonsense, anything that comes to mind that might make Ryousuke feel better.

"Hey.  
Come to Myogi soon. And then stay there with me."

A snort.

"I think you'll like it this time of year. Let's have a competition between which mountain is prettier."

"Akagi wins."

"No, it doesn't! And how would you know when you haven't seen it yet?"

A soft sigh.

Ryousuke hasn't let go yet. If anything, he's holding on tighter now.

“...Let’s have as much fun as possible racing while you still can.”

“I like that idea.”

Nakazato wants to grab Ryousuke like a coin or an amulet and take him everywhere in his pocket.

Then he wouldn't miss him anymore.

The end of Ryousuke's racing is a shame, but it's not going to be anything close to the loss of their time together once he's in med school. All Nakazato can do is prepare his heart for it.

Ryousuke will end up thinking of ways to leave a legacy behind after retiring, to say ‘I was here, I existed’ in the racing world. That would be the birth of Project D.

Nakazato thinks Ryousuke doesn't haven't have to go through all the trouble; the man's already a legend.

He's willing to help out regardless.

But before that:

“Starting tomorrow, you start from the south, and I'll challenge the north.  
We'll compete with different downhill racers, breaking course records.  
Let's see who ends up winning more, ok?”


End file.
